[Book Spoilers] Who will lead?

[StannisandDaeny]

Robb / someone else mentioned they sent men to recapture Winterfell, so it's likely he'll be facing down an army like in the book. With Ser Rodrik already dead, who will lead them?

[Ran]

Ramsay Snow, I expect, since Robb has Roose send him the command to raise a force to retake the castle.

[sumpthy]

I think what TC means that in the book, Ramsay defeats a Stark army led by Rodrik and he's wondering who will lead the Stark contingent in the show.

I think it's more likely that they'll cut out the third party and make it a straight up battle between the Boltons and the Greyjoys.

[StannisandDaeny]

That's possible, but it would be kind of a letdown. It's far more dramatic in the books I think, where you think 'it's either Theon or the populace who will be screwed at this point' then go to 'ok, so it's the the populace that's screwed' and then with a shock realize everyone's screwed x') But I agree, it's probable Ramsay will take the castle and appear like a hero before he starts burning and killing everyone. Not as good, but sufficiently dramatic. What did always bothered me in the books is that so far *no one* we know of, in a 2000 man host, survived the battle to tell of Ramsay's treachery. It's very rare in battles that no one escapes, so at that point the show might make an improvement.

Still, since it's 'the men Robb sent' who are attacking the castle it may be slightly inconsistent / confusing to have (all of) them be more loyal to Ramsay than to Robb, not to mention the men Rodrik took with him in the show appear to have disappeared in thin air, but I still expect there'll be no secondary characters for the parlay. Which is a shame 'cos Theon putting people on the gallows really showed how desperate he was, I still somewhat hope they'll stick closer to the books... Most of all because you see, there's this character Wex (the mute who is currently at Whitehaven) who has a pretty important role to play later on and hasn't been introduced yet. Wex is part of Manderly's reason to help out Davos, I think they could be getting themselves in trouble somehow...

[Lord Barristan]

I'm pretty sure people did escape... Someone mentions those who escaped as well... I think it was manderly or glover when they speak to davos in DANCE, but I can't be sure... The problem is there was no way to get to Robb and all of the important people were killed- or better said, all the people who would have told robb

[StannisandDaeny]

Hmm, I don't recall that, I should perhaps look it up. I suppose the North isn't like King's Landing or even the Riverlands where rumours spread like wildfire, but at least someone should find it suspicious the North lost 2000 men taking back Winterfell with only survivors on the Bolton's side and all commanders dead (some further inquiry into why a 14 year old boy would engage in the hostilities and allow himself to be killed would also be welcome, ASOIAF characters aren't that dumb), and that's where the rumours come in... I hope that's the way it's gonna go.

[sumpthy]

As far as I remember, Wex and Theon are the only non-Bolton survivors.

[PuckTFD]

I don't think they'll cast anyone besides Ramsay to retake Winterfell. They'll probably just do what they did with the Stark's side of the Battle of the Green Fork (Which had Roose in command in the book) and simply show no on-screen leadership. It'd still be simple enough to show Ramsay's troops cutting down other Northerners.

[Morvran]

The tension of that scene revolves around Theon threatening to hang Ser Rodrik's daughter (I think it was his daughter) from the walls if he attacks, but of course he still has to attack. And then Rodrik's men are taken by surprise and butchered (which crushes the reader a bit), and then Ramsey unveils himself, yada yada.

But without Rodrik it doesn't work that way, and there was no Reek anyway. But the tension and 'ugh' moment could still be there without all that if Ramsey arrives and liberates Winterfell only to burn it. That's all you really need.